Heart rate variability (HRV) is associated with positive physiological and psychological effects. HRV is affected by breathing parameters, yet debate remains regarding the best breathing interventions for strengthening HRV. The objective of the current study was to test whether the inclusion of a postexhalation rest period was effective at increasing HRV, while controlling for breathing rate. A within-subject crossover design was used with 40 participants who were assigned randomly to a breathing pattern including a postexhalation rest period or a breathing pattern that omitted the postexhalation rest period...

Distal clavicle osteolysis is an uncommon condition that most commonly affects weight lifters and other athletes who perform repetitive overhead activity. Although this condition most commonly presents in young active men, it is becoming increasing more common in women with the rise in popularity of body building and extreme athletics. Distal clavicle osteolysis can be debilitating, especially in those with rigorous training regimens, preventing exercise because of pain with activities such as bench presses and chest flies...

Vaccination against Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) became mandatory in Italy for all newborns and twelve years-old individuals in the 1991. The immunogenicity of HBV vaccine and the effectiveness of the universal immunization strategy have been widely demonstrated. However the need to assess the antibody concentrations above the well known serological correlate of protection for HBV infection (≥ 10 mIU/mL), established in individuals immunized with a three doses vaccination course, is still recommended in subjects exposed to occupational risks in different settings, particularly the healthcare services...

BACKGROUND: Occupational risk management is known as a catalyst in generating superior returns for all stakeholders on a sustainable basis. A number of companies in Ghana implemented health and safety measures adopted from international companies to ensure the safety of their employees. However, there exist great threats to employees' safety in these companies. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the level of compliance of Occupational Health and Safety management systems and standards set by international and local legislation in power producing companies in Ghana...

Humanin (HN) is a mitochondrially encoded and secreted peptide linked to glucose metabolism and tissue protecting mechanisms. Whether skeletal muscle HN gene or protein expression is influenced by exercise remains unknown. In this intervention study we show, for the first time, that HN protein levels increase in human skeletal muscle following 12 weeks of resistance training in persons with prediabetes. Male subjects (n = 55) with impaired glucose regulation (IGR) were recruited and randomly assigned to resistance training, Nordic walking or a control group...

BACKGROUND: Effective, scalable strategies to improve maternal, fetal, and newborn health and reduce preventable morbidity and mortality are urgently needed in low- and middle-income countries. Building on the successes of previous checklist-based programs, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners led the development of the Safe Childbirth Checklist (SCC), a 28-item list of evidence-based practices linked with improved maternal and newborn outcomes. Pilot-testing of the Checklist in Southern India demonstrated dramatic improvements in adherence by health workers to essential childbirth-related practices (EBPs)...

PURPOSE: To examine the reaction time when human subjects process information presented in the visual channel under both a direct vision and a virtual rehabilitation environment when walking was performed. METHOD: Visual stimulus included eight math problems displayed on the peripheral vision to seven healthy human subjects in a virtual rehabilitation training (computer-assisted rehabilitation environment (CAREN)) and a direct vision environment. Subjects were required to verbally report the results of these math calculations in a short period of time...

Aim: This study aims to comprehensively analyse the course of psychosomatic rehabilitation - from access to quantifiable rehabilitation outcomes. A comparison is made between 3 groups of patients: German citizens, patients of Turkish nationality or patients of foreign or unknown nationality. Methods: The data set used comprises routine data of the German Pension Insurance regarding psychosomatic rehabilitation from the so called Reha-Statistik-Database (RSD, database for rehabilitation statistics) over a period from 2007 to 2014...

AIM: Physical exercise can reduce adverse conditions during aging, while both exercise and aging act as metabolism modifiers. The present study investigates rat fecal and cecal metabolome alterations derived from exercise during rats' lifespan. METHODS & RESULTS: Groups of rats trained life-long or for a specific period of time were under study. The training protocol consisted of swimming, 15-18 min per day, 3-5 days per week, with load of 4-0% of rat's weight. Fecal samples and cecal extracts were analyzed by targeted and untargeted metabolic profiling methods (GC-MS and LC-MS/MS)...

Since the pioneering studies of the 1960s, heart rate variability (HRV) has become an increasingly used non-invasive tool for examining cardiac autonomic functions and dysfunctions in various populations and conditions. Many calculation methods have been developed to address these issues, each with their strengths and weaknesses. Although, its interpretation may remain difficult, this technique provides, from a non-invasive approach, reliable physiological information that was previously inaccessible, in many fields including death and health prediction, training and overtraining, cardiac and respiratory rehabilitation, sleep-disordered breathing, large cohort follow-ups, children's autonomic status, anesthesia, or neurophysiological studies...

PURPOSE: Successful adoption of a new surgical procedure varies among practicing surgeons, and skill acquisition depends on the surgeon's innate ability, the complexity of the technique, and training. We report intraoperative and near-term postoperative outcomes from the Acessa procedure conducted by minimally invasive gynecologic surgeons new to Acessa, and report the surgeons' experiences during the training period. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was designed as a postmarket, prospective, single-arm, multicenter analysis of operative and early postoperative outcomes after proctored surgical training with the Acessa device and procedure (laparoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency volumetric thermal ablation of symptomatic fibroids) in premenopausal, menstruating women as conducted in community and university hospitals in the USA and Canada...

BACKGROUND: The implementation of nutrition policies in schools has been recommended as a strategy to improve child dietary intake. Internationally, research suggests that the majority of schools do not implement these policies. In New South Wales (NSW), Australia, the NSW Healthy School Canteen Policy requires that school canteens prohibit the sale of 'red' foods (i.e. foods that are typically nutrient poor and high in energy, such as confectionary and deep-fried foods) and 'banned'drinks (i...

INTRODUCTION: Recent research indicated that cognitive speed of processing training (SPT) improved Useful Field of View (UFOV) among individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). The effects of SPT in PD have not been further examined. The objectives of the current study were to investigate use, maintenance, and dose effects of SPT among individuals with PD. METHODS: Participants who were randomized to SPT or a delayed control group completed the UFOV at a six-month follow-up visit...

This study investigated dose-response effects of rye bran and pea fibre added to meatballs on sensory quality and subjective appetite sensations. Pea fibre or rye bran was added to meatballs in doses ranging from 3g to 6g dietary fibre per 100g. In a sensory profile, a trained panel (n=9) evaluated the meatballs in terms of odour, appearance, texture and flavour attributes. In a cross-over appetite study, 27 healthy men were served five test meals. Subjective appetite sensations were assessed over a 4-hour period...

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of a training camp on the sleep characteristics of professional rugby league players compared to a home period. METHODS: During a seven-day home and 13-day camp period, time in bed (TIB), total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency (SE) and wake after sleep onset (WASO) were measured using wristwatch actigraphy. Subjective wellness and training loads (TL) were also collected. Differences in sleep and TL between the two periods and the effect of daytime naps on night time sleep were examined using linear mixed models...

PURPOSE: To establish appropriate work intensity for interval training that would elicit maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) for well-trained swimmers. METHODS: 12 male competitive swimmers completed an incremental protocol to determine the minimum velocity at VO2max (vVO2max) and, in randomized order, three square wave exercises from rest to 95, 100 and 105% of vVO2max. Temporal aspects of the VO2 response were examined in these latter. RESULTS: Swimming at 105% of vVO2max took less (p<0...

PURPOSE: An athlete's ability to recover quickly is important when there is limited time between training and competition. As such, recovery strategies are commonly used to expedite the recovery process. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of both cold water immersion (CWI) and contrast water therapy (CWT) compared to control on short-term recovery (<4h) following a single full-body resistance training session. METHODS: Thirteen males (age, 26 ± 5 years; weight, 79 ± 7 kg; height, 177 ± 5 cm) were assessed for perceptual (fatigue and soreness) and performance measures (maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC) of the knee extensors, weighted and unweighted countermovement jumps) prior to and immediately following the training session...